Lakers sign Stanley Johnson to third 10-day deal

The Los Angeles Lakers will signed Stanley Johnson to a second standard 10-day contract, the team confirmed on on Monday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic originally reported that Johnson would get another contract on Sunday. This will be Johnson's third 10-day contract with the team between standard and hardship contracts.

Unless another player on the roster enters health and safety protocols, this is the final 10-day contract Johnson can sign with the Lakers this season before the team will have to either sign him for the rest of the season or let him go.

Johnson’s contract will carry until Jan. 26, and will span six games for the Lakers, ending on the day of the team’s game in Brooklyn. The Nets were, ironically, the first opponent Johnson faced as a Laker.

Johnson has been an unexpectedly prominent contributor for the Lakers this season. After being signed as a replacement player, Johnson made enough of an impact to earn a second 10-day contract. However, that contract only came after a multi-day lapse between his hardship contract and his regular 10-day deal, days during which Johnson was out (and missed a game).

In the end, the Lakers eventually retained him for a second 10-day deal, and he immediately re-entered the starting lineup. In his nine games with the Lakers, Johnson has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.

His impact, though, has been greater than his statistical production. His arrival coincided with the Lakers shift to small ball and, as an athletic wing, allowed them to thrive in that style. In effect, he helped unlock the Lakers — at least for a few games — in the absence of Anthony Davis.

But even with Davis set to return within the next few weeks, the Lakers still want a longer look at a player with Johnson’s skillset, particularly on a team lacking youthful players or athletic wings. Even if his role may be reduced in the coming weeks and days, Johnson fills a void for the Lakers, and allows the team to play a the style they prefer moving forward.

By signing him to another 10-day deal, the Lakers will maintain their short and long-term flexibility with Johnson. The team can continue to scour the trade market for potential deals moving forward, while also maintaining the open roster spot Johnson will occupy with his 10-day contract. Johnson’s new 10-day deal will now take the team up to the precipice of the trade deadline, where more action from the front office is likely, and their decisions could impact how much longer Johnson remains under contract this season.

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